How Physical Is The Job?

I figured that. I have an appointment with my pain doctor tomorrow and will see what we can cook up. I usually only take them when I have to work, so I'll just suffer through until I make a decision on this. I have a habit of getting an idea and being totally obsessed and then losing interest. I've been obsessed with truck driving THIS time for about 2 weeks, so I'll give it another month or 2 before I make any solid decisions. But yeah, I don't want to see an 18 wheeler coming at me piloted by someone on muscle relaxers and opiates :D The speed demons of the 70s and 80s were scary enough lol.

Seriously this is a commitment. You don't learn this job in a week or two. You will want to quick a dozen times before the end of your first year. please dont this if you arent serious.

As a 46 year old woman with a 56 year old female trainee...i can say that most of the work is not too physical. But turning the crank handles in 100 degree weather with a full load of beer is either hard and sweaty in high gear or exhausting in low.

As reefer I usually get the trailer washed by someone else so I don't climb back there too often. Many customers will install the load locks if you leave them back there.

I never touch freight. In 5 years I kicked 2 pallets off the back of a trailer. Sometimes I have damaged products I need to unload by hand.. Maybe 10 times in those years.

I have a youtube channel you may want to take a look at. There is a playlist for considering CDL school. Weather extremes, changing sleep.patterns, driving while sick are all things people do not consider.

Thanks Kearsey. I think I have watched every one of your videos and then some from other folks. I understand how it works. In the casino industry, for dealers, you had to "break in", meaning you worked in crappy casinos and learned the ropes and then worked your way up to the nicer Strip hotels where the money is. I totally understand that I would be starting from the bottom again and spending a lot of time learning how things work. Kind of like if you decided to be a crap dealer lol After working shift work my whole life, the sleep thing is no issue. Long driving hours are no issue. And the reassurance from everyone that it is not that physical is helping. Thank you!

Howdy again, Vicki.. you're most welcome!

Thank you Anne! I have been reading on it, watching videos, visiting as many websites and truck forums as I can. I just read the long story about the guy who rolled his truck. Yeah. Didn't scare me away yet :D I'll keep reading and researching. I did put an app in to Prime and maybe I'll do a few others, just to see what the recruiters have to say...It's not like I can't say no if I change my mind. But I do know how recruiters work lol Benefits of age I guess

Wow.. you've read "Persian Conversion's" story . . . that right there is grit. To the nines. I read it STILL . . . every now and again. I could tell you some stories, that my guy has been through, as well . . . Life happens. So much to learn EVERY day!

Keep on keeping on, do 'whatcha do.' As I mentioned in another thread (or 2?) I had to pay the plow guy a dang 'Benjamin' so the hubby can/could/did get in & out. There's SO much to consider, especially if you DO go with a company where you are able to bring the rig home. Accommodations. Not everyone has a yard (and in Spring/Summer, I wish we didn't!)

Prime is a GREAT choice, IMHO. Training is lengthy, but I don't think that's a bad thing, whatsoever. They are picky, because they CAN be. Have you looked into Swift, as well? << Personally, my 1st choice; since Prime won't have me with an 'odd' work history, methinks. That's what they are 'sticky' about; and can be! It's in Kearsey's videos.

Rainy (OOPS KEARSEY!) has MANY videos, some but not all, Prime specific. I know, she mentioned it .. but .. here's the link~!!

Truckin' along with Kearsey

Wish you the best, m'lady ~

~ Anne ~

ps: When you are CLOSE to ready; there's this:

Apply For Paid CDL Training

I hadn't really considered Swift. Mind you I was a truck stop waitress in the 80s and heard nothing but horror stories from their drivers. From the research I have done, they have improved. As for parking, there isn't much around my suburban hell I live in :D I did toss an app at Roehl because they have a yard about 10 miles from my house. I am a few months out from seriously doing this. The corporation I work for has a habit of offering buy outs to management when things get slow. With my seniority I would get about 6 months worth of salary and benefits for a year, so I'm waiting to see if that happens (there's rumors). It would make that first year a lot more easy financially. I also had to talk to my pain doc today to start getting off the muscle relaxers and pain meds. We are trying Celebrex and another round of nerve ablation in place. Of course that will all take time. I am also a T2 diabetic, and got sick and in the hospital and the put me on sliding scale insulin there. I have used one vial in 6 months, so I am working with my regular doc to get that off of my prescription list. I have a CPAP , but see that many do, so I am not worried about that...so much to do before I get super serious. I did call a CDL school today, $5k. But the companies he said that recruit from there are the same ones pretty much that I can get training from...and it's not like the ones I have seen pay more for that first year. Also, I'd hate to pay and then be unemployable because of my medical history. So much to consider. Okay off to look at Swift now lol